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[drinkswitham-blog]

Celebrating an early #cincodemayo or maybe #maythefourthbewithyou with some margaritas at work 🍹 ———————————————————— #drinkswitham #didagency #margaritas #yesplease #margaritamood #givemeallthetequila #yum #workingfortheweekend #adlife #agencylife (at DiD Agency)

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Successful Video Advertisements: More Than Views

                                                                                                                    Google

When measuring video advertisement effectiveness, some brands have tunnel vision on the views. However, video effectiveness is not one size fits all; how effective a video advertisement is depends on multiple variables, called key performance indicators (KPIs). This is the point made from Kim Larson, head of global brand services at Google, and Rachel Salberg, global curriculum lead at Google BrandLab, in their article, “How to Identify the Right KPIs for Online Video: Lessons From Google BrandLab.”

Measuring effectiveness starts with the company at hand and its overall objectives. The article states that the target audience belongs to one of three camps: unfamiliarity with a product, uncertainty about a product, or readiness to make a purchase. The first step is determining if the overall goal is to raise awareness, consideration, or action.

Once the goal is determined, the next step is to determine how to measure KPIs. When the brand’s goal is to raise awareness, then the KPIs are views, impressions, unique users, awareness lift, and ad recall lift. When the goal is consideration, then the KPIs include view-through rate, watch time, favorability lift, consideration lift, and brand interest lift. And when the goal is action, then the KPIs are clicks, calls, signups, and sales and purchase intentions.

Once the brand has determined its overall objective and the KPIs it will measure, the next step is to determine the best tools to use to measure the KPIs. Some of the tools highlighted in the article are YouTube Analytics, Google Analytics, and AdWords. These tools will help brands keep track of their advertisements’ progress in order to observe if they are meeting their KPIs.

While measuring the KPIs, the next step is optimization. The authors of the article state how comparing the campaign to a competitor may not be the most rational route. Instead of looking outward, brands should consider looking inward—first by comparing their current campaign to one of their previous campaigns. This way, brands will know the past and current goals, audience size, and budget, which will result in a more relevant comparison.

Video advertisements are dynamic ways to get messages across. And when an ad is in front of a target audience, it is important to have clear goals and to use the right measurements in order to have a successful video campaign.

Click here to read more on the topic.

[didagency]

The Power of YouTube Influencers

                                                                                                        Shutterstock

YouTube is an unique space. It’s a place where one goes to find a music video they haven’t seen in years, watch a funny video, or learn how to do something among countless other things. Content is being uploaded and watched every second of every day. Some YouTube users upload and share content that has already been published, while other users create their own content and have developed a following. These creators post content frequently to their thousands or millions of subscribers. This has lead to a unique opportunity for marketers.

Connecting and collaborating with these creators can be effective. But just how effective, exactly? Sanjay Nazerali, the chief strategy officer of Carat Global and his team worked with YouTube and Nielsen to analyze just how well influencer marketing works.

When it comes to recall, 73% of viewers remembered the brand the influencer was promoting. This number indicates high recall, although it was not as high as marketing from celebrities, which came in at 84%.

Another insight that the article notes is when it comes to celebrity marketing and influencer marketing—the purchase intent among both groups was the same. This indicates that the participants were just as likely to buy a product marketed by an influencer, as they were to buy a product marketed by a celebrity.

However, when it comes to brand familiarity and truly understanding the brand, YouTube influencers were shown to have the upper hand. The data showed that influencer marketing was four times more effective in comparison to celebrity marketing.

While deciding if influencer marketing is the right path to take, it is important to note that there are several routes one could veer onto. It could be something as simple as running ads on their YouTube videos. Other routes taken could be creating an ad featuring the influencer or a product endorsement, which were both shown to have positive results for brand affinity. However, the best results came from when the brand and the influencer created a deeper collaboration. Nazerali states in the article, “our research found that deep thematic integrations with creators drive the highest results for brands. These are more involved integrations where the influencer plays a role in creating a piece of content—such as a demo—with the brand.”

So what exactly is the appeal of these YouTube creators? The article states that the viewers perceived these creators as being likable, successful, funny, irreverent, and social media savvy. Nazerali notes the importance of irreverence, which he links to credibility and trustworthiness. He also notes that humor reflects a sense of community. Viewers creating a bond with the influencers that consists of trust and community will only be beneficial to the brand involved.

For more insight on the topic, click here to read more

[didagency]

Less Promos, More Info

See the link below about how brands are giving consumers more of what they want—more informative emails! Plus, check out the latest results from Adobe's Consumers Email Survey!

http://www.adweek.com/digital/40-of-consumers-want-email-content-to-be-less-promotional-and-more-informative/

[didagency]

How Will You Disrupt?

I do not see a reason to ever buy shoes in a retail store again.

I do not see a reason to go to a sporting goods store again.

As I am sure most of you have noticed, I am working out again ... seriously, I am. After nearly destroying my hip training for and running the only race I have ever run (a Philly marathon four years ago), I decided it was time to get back to doing something besides running.

At age 53, a lot hurts when working out, but unless so I decided it was time. While trying lots of different types of training, it became clear that my two-year-old running shoes were shot. I needed new comfortable shoes (as Forrest Gump would say) and since street running is out of my life, I wanted a training shoe.

So on Monday I went to Dick's Sporting Goods because I also wanted a yeti Bama—USC football will be here before you know it and I need to keep my drinks cold.

Like many consumers, I went online to learn about training shoes that would work for running on a treadmill and for floor exercises. Again, at my age I just can't buy any shoe ... at least that is what I have been told by other old people. I also know which brands fit my size 12.5 foot the best, so I narrowed it down. But because comfort is so important, I wanted to try them on.

While at Dick’s I found two of the three brands and styles recommended online. I held them patiently while store associates buzzed by me. Ten minutes went by and finally someone asked if I needed help, which unless I had a shoe fetish was pretty obvious. I asked for a size 12.5 in those two styles. Five minutes passed and he brings out all they have ... a 12 and 13. I knew neither would fit, but hoped something had changed with those brands.

So I went online and found a few others that might work and grabbed the floor models. I waited another 10 minutes for a sales associate, who again asks if I need help. I ask for a 12.5 in those options. Another 10 minutes passed and he comes out with a 12 and 13 and says they don't have a 12.5 in stock. So again, I reluctantly tried them on.

So then I found a brand/style that is well-stocked, but is typically a bit wide for my narrower 12.5 foot. I wait another 10 minutes or so and the manager comes by and asks if I need help. I said I would like to try those shoes in a 12.5. He looks at me and says, "We only carry even sizes after size 12, so we won't have a 12.5." In my calmest voice possible (not calm) I told him about being there for over 40 minutes trying on shoes and no one ever telling me that they don't carry a 12.5.

I went toward the exit and saw the yeti that I wanted. The trip wasn't a total loss ... and it was on sale! So I grabbed it and headed to the register, where nearly 30 people were in line waiting for one cashier to check everyone out. Another showed up, but was still trying to figure out how to open the register when I left empty-handed.

Next, I went to Wegmans to do my "honey-do" shopping list, but first found solace in a cold Manhattan at the Wegmans restaurant (genius) and calmed down before a person told me the aisles for buying arugula, half and half, heavy cream, eggs, yogurt, and stainless steel cleaner It’s like the Nordstrom of food stores.

When I got home, I went online to Zappos.com. Apparently my wife is a VIP member because when I signed in, VIP balloons showed up. I ordered my shoes and put them into the shopping cart (a GIF of them jumped in). I also got my yeti, which also jumped in. Oh, and I ordered some shoes for spinning since my huge 12.5 running shoe barely fits into the toe clip on a spin bike. I was done shopping in five minutes. I was sent a confirmation email, and shortly thereafter a tracking email, and was told I would receive them today (with no shipping cost).

I would still like to have tried on the shoes, but the experience was so bad and Zappos made the automated experience so easy that I couldn't imagine going back. It disrupted the shoe and sporting goods industry for me.

Wegmans made shopping a better experience. Sure, I might love Amazon's order and pickup model of the future. But getting a drink (or two) before shopping was brilliant both in terms of the margin it made on me as well as the additional products I bought because of it. And the person who could tell I was "lost" made the store seem much smaller.

It's easy to disrupt when everyone can offer the same product but one finds a way to deliver better customer service or a better experience.

How will you disrupt?

-Rick Sannem 

[didagency]

Are Consumers Welcoming Virtual Reality Into Their Reality?

Virtual reality (VR) is a unique technology that allows marketers to create a customizable experience anywhere that the user is. In recent years, VR experimentation has significantly grown to achieve brand marketing objectives on a wide spectrum including brand awareness and education. From Lowe's to HBO's Game of Thrones, users are becoming increasingly familiar with their favorite brands.

However, most VR experiences happen out of the home at festivals, conventions, and in-store. So what is keeping consumers from purchasing VR devices to use in-home? Well, AdWeek and Magid, a research-based consultancy, investigated for us.

Magid split 2,000 people from the ages of 18-64 into two groups and surveyed them prior to the holidays in December and afterward in January. Participants in the survey showed a high level of interest in VR, however, their hesitation to buy stems primarily from the price of VR devices. From those that intended to purchase a VR device, 37% decided against the purchase due to not realizing its price tag. Additionally, 64% said a price reduction would encourage them more to buy one in the future.

Other than the price of VR devices, consumers are resistant to buy before any kinks are sorted out with these devices--similar to the iPhone effect. As a reminder, the level of VR marketing that we are currently at has only been active for a couple years. Due to this, consumers want to be sure they aren't only making a financially-responsible decision, but that they are also optimizing their experience as best as possible.

The infographic generated from this content by AdWeek offers a deeper look into what is holding consumers back from purchasing VR devices.The question for marketers following the infographic and survey is, "Are we creating content that consumers will deem worthy of experiencing for the price tag of a VR device?"

To learn more about what consumers are saying about VR, click here.  

[didagency]

Lessons Learned On The Way To The Oscars

“Story” is a well-worn term in healthcare marketing. We call Facebook posts “stories,” sales aids “brand stories” and anyone who creates them “storytellers.” We use the term because we want communications to engage and transport with the power of a well-told story. Yet, with the highly regulated language of health marketing, our stories often land flat.

Over the last few months, I was actually reawakened to the power of a good story. The opportunity came because of a short film I helped produce. Joe’s Violin tells the story of a 91-year-old Holocaust survivor and a young student at a Bronx charter school. The film starts with the small gift of an unused violin and ends with a larger gift of friendship.

Initially, we thought Joe’s Violin would show at a few film festivals and, with luck, find a distributor. Suffice it to say, the film struck a chord. On Jan. 24, Joe’s Violin was announced as one of five Academy Award nominees for the Best Short Documentary Oscar. 

The lessons I learned actually didn’t come while driving to the Oscars. They came from the month beforehand when we held a number of screenings for Academy voters. By seeing and hearing live how others experienced our story, I rediscovered a few things that could make stories also work in healthcare marketing.

Click here to read more

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Virtually Expanding Healthcare

                                                                                                 (Shutterstock)

We have been waiting for consumers to get comfortable with virtual healthcare, and a recent survey by Accenture shows that consumer demand for virtual services is increasing and consumers are open to exploring an array of services. It is time for healthcare providers and payers to expand their offerings and make them more accessible to consumers.

Accenture’s survey, which gathered responses from 1,501 U.S. consumers, found that roughly 75% of survey participants said they would consider using virtual health for health tracking for daily monitoring of glucose levels and blood pressure. Approximately the same amount of respondents identified that they would be interested in utilizing virtual healthcare for both follow-up appointments and for initial appointments for “non-urgent” services.

But here is where things don’t look so great for virtual healthcare. There seems to be a disconnect between consumers’ interest and what they feel is being offered. For example, only 21% have used a virtual healthcare service. Now, of those who have used a virtual healthcare service, the reasons for doing so were nearly split evenly between three responses: “greater convenience than traditional in-person healthcare services (cited by 37%); familiarity with using technology to manage their health (34%); and curiosity to try virtual health (34%).” Those are some interesting numbers.

But wait! Here lies the opportunity for payers and providers to take control and shift the numbers in favor of virtual health––“consumers said they would be more likely to ‘try virtual’ if encouraged by a physician (cited by 44% of respondents) or a healthcare payer (31%).” Not only are consumers open to using virtual health, but they are also looking to industry leaders to give them the green light to do so!

This study goes on to show that more than three-quarters of respondents said that they would be comfortable using virtual healthcare some or most of the time. This doesn’t mean that every doctor should close up shop, rather quite the opposite is true. There needs to be multiple offerings for consumers to choose from. Consumers still like the power of deciding what care is right for them. What they want are options to be able to do so.

Click here to read more